Patricia Davidson

[Ensuring Safe Vehicles Imported from Mexico for Canadians Act, December 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I would ask for consent to see the clock as 6:30 p.m.

[Responsible Care, October 20th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada on the 25th anniversary of Responsible Care.

Responsible Care was launched in 1975 to address the chemistry industry's concerns for the environment and the health of Canadians.

Twenty-five years later, the Canadian Responsible Care model has been adopted by more than 50 countries around the world and has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme for its contributions to sustainable development.

Responsible Care companies have made great strides in reducing emissions and report their progress in a transparent way to the public each year. In my riding of Sarnia—Lambton, member companies of the CAER program have also been on the forefront of emergency response.

I would like to congratulate members of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada for showing a quarter century of environmental leadership through Responsible Care.

[The Economy, September 28th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians trust our Conservative government to manage the economy.

Two years ago, when the global economy was pulled into the deepest recession in over a generation, our government responded with the economic action plan to ensure that the Canadian economy was the least affected, the last to enter the recession and the first to recover from it, and stronger than any of the other industrialized countries.

Would the minister tell this House about the new program from our Conservative government to support Canadian small and medium enterprises?

[Health, September 20th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the difficulties of Canadians living with multiple sclerosis.

Can the Minister of Health share with the House her latest efforts with respect to research on the possibilities associated with CCSVI?

[Multiple Sclerosis, June 14th, 2010]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my colleague opposite for his comments. He is certainly a valuable member of the health committee, and I have enjoyed working with him for several years now.

During his comments, he made the statement that any news, or even a rumour, gives immeasurable hope to those who are suffering from this disease. I could not agree more.

It certainly is a devastating disease. I think that many of us in this chamber tonight have family members or very close friends who have MS. I have a niece and a first cousin who both suffer from MS. To see the devastation it causes not only to their lives but to their families' lives is certainly not something that any of us want to see.

With respect to some of the comments that have been made here tonight, I know that Dr. Zamboni has said that the results of his pilot study warrant further research. The Alberta health ministry has said that further independent and controlled studies are required to prove, discount, or better understand Dr. Zamboni's study results. In Ontario, the Health Technology Advisory Committee has stated that preliminary evidence does not permit them to make any recommendations. They regard the treatment as experimental at this time. The MS Society is calling for more research—

[Health Care System, May 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to make the House aware of some of the work being done by our government that will be useful to all members when deciding to support Motion No. 513 made by the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

This motion touches on one of the principles necessary for our health care system, the need for collaboration. Our government works with the provinces and territories to maintain and improve the health system in which Canadians have invested for generations.

The management of health care is a sacred trust that we have always shared. That is why our government is transferring an all-time high of $25.4 billion in transfer payment support to the provinces and territories to ensure they have the tools they need to protect and promote the health of Canadians.

As the motion asserts, we can see that demand for health services will only grow. This is our opportunity to take action. The cost of health care will keep growing, but there are several things we can and should do to mitigate the impact. By fostering innovation, we can make Canada's health system more efficient and encourage Canadians to make healthier choices that will keep them out of doctors' offices and hospitals.

I do not think I need to remind the House that, while provincial and territorial governments administer and deliver most of the country's health services, the Government of Canada is the health policy leader for the nation. This government works with the provinces and the territories to make sure that policy turns into action, and of course we work together to deliver health services to first nations communities that are located far from major centres.

This motion encourages a rapid adoption of technological advancements to ease the burden on our health care system. I am pleased to say that our government has a long-standing commitment to the development of a pan-Canadian system of electronic health records and electronic medical records through Infoway. Budget 2009 committed $500 million to further that effort, and the government has not wavered from that commitment.

In support of our role as policy leader for the country, the Government of Canada has established and supported organizations like the Canadian Institute for Health Information. It gives all governments insight into the health needs of Canadians so that programs can be tailored to those needs, and that is an essential element to making the delivery of health services more efficient.

Similarly, the government supports organizations like the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. This enables all 13 provincial and territorial governments to have access to the same information, regardless of the size of their health care system.

This motion encourages us to continue to adopt new technologies to help relieve the burden on the health care system. When it comes to health care, technology can mean many things. It can, as I mentioned, include electronic health and medical records, but new technology can mean diagnostic equipment, surgical tools and even leading edge drug therapies.

Technological innovation has always pushed the frontiers of medicine. Every medical tool we have today was new to medicine at some point. The machines that are commonplace today, defibrillators, ultrasound and X-ray machines and even stethoscopes, are technological advancements that we now take for granted.

The advancement of medical technology continues on, and as this motion says, we must continue to introduce it where it is needed to ease the financial strain on health care.

The Government of Canada funds health care broadly through the Canada health transfer, but it also funds the purchase of new technology through targeted transfers such as the medical and diagnostic equipment fund.

It is worth noting that in the last 10 years Canada has tripled its MRI capacity and increased its CT scanner capacity by 71%. Technology improves the quality of health care, especially with regard to safety. Bringing in new diagnostic equipment can help detect health problems sooner and speed up the treatment of a disease. In other cases, new treatments can be developed for patients for whom there had been no treatment before. New diagnostic equipment and new treatments, together, are improving lives and increasing the number of people who survive an illness.

Nevertheless, we must be cautious. New technology must be evaluated, not just from the point of view of medical science but also from the perspective of the management of medicine.

The development of new technology is always linked to research and the Government of Canada invests directly in Canadian research and is guided by the science and technology strategy. Much of the health research done in Canada is done through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. For the last decade, the role of the CIHR has been growing and, in budget 2010, an additional $16 million were added to its research budget. Its total annual investment in research in this country is now close to $1 billion.

There is also privately funded medical research going on in this country that the government supports through incentives for private sector research and development. Motion No. 513 also calls upon the government to promote injury prevention and healthier lifestyles. Those are issues that this government has already taken head on. For example, we have committed significant funding for participaction, the food and consumer safety action plan and other programs designed to foster healthier and safer lives for Canadians.

In addition, we know that Canadians are aware of the need to have a healthier lifestyle in order to maintain health but we need to keep encouraging them to take action. It is estimated that physical inactivity costs the health system $5.3 billion every year. Obesity is believed to cost the system another $4.3 billion. Together they present nearly a $10 billion strain on health care. These are conditions, not illnesses, but they foster illness, many of which could be prevented through proper diet and physical activity.

This government has high profile programs, such as the children's fitness tax credit, Canada's physical activity guides, Canada's food guide and participaction, but there are equally important programs that take aim at the underlying causes of preventable chronic disease.

Through the integrated strategy on healthy living and disease, the federal government looks at the common risk factors, measures their impact and promotes effective prevention programs. Our government not only works on preventing illness, but also preventing injury. If we prevent injuries we keep more people out of doctors' offices and hospitals.

It is worth keeping in mind that injuries are the leading cause of death for Canadians under age 45. Overall, they are the fifth leading cause of death for people of all age groups. Injuries are a particular concern for people who are 65 or older. In fact, injuries that are the result of a fall are responsible for 80% of all injury-related hospitalizations for that age group.

We have identified several other high risk groups so that our investments in injury prevention can be used most effectively. In the Speech from the Throne, our government committed to develop a national strategy of childhood injury prevention in partnership with non-governmental organizations. In a broader way, we have invested in preventing injuries from dangerous consumer products by developing the food and consumer safety action plan.

Finally, Motion No. 513 calls for better recognition of the changing roles of health care workers. As we all know, health care is not one profession, it is many professions working toward the same purpose. The roles and responsibilities of health care professionals have evolved to meet the needs of Canadians. For example, the nurse practitioner has expanded the role of nurses so that in many isolated communities they are now providing some services that in the past a nurse could not have done.

There are many other examples of how the roles of health care professionals have evolved to meet the needs of Canadians. This motion calls for better recognition of that reality and I expect that fact will be taken into account when the members of the House are deciding whether to give their support.

I sincerely hope I have provided hon. members of the House with information that will assist them in making their decision with reference to Motion No. 513. I certainly encourage everyone to support the motion of my colleague, the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

[The Economy, April 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader keeps ignoring the economy. In fact, the only idea the Liberal leader has brought forward is to harm the economy by raising taxes on Canadians. From higher personal taxes to a hike in job-killing business taxes, he wants Canadians to pay more.

In contrast, our Conservative government's top priority remains growing the economy with Canada's economic action plan.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please update the House on the latest news on the economy?

[Workplace Safety, April 28th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, today is the 25th anniversary of the first National Day of Mourning. I speak today in the House of Commons on behalf of all Canadians for the men and women who have lost their lives in workplace tragedies.

Today we are united across party lines as we give tribute to the workers and their families who have been permanently affected by workplace tragedies. In 2009, there were three fatalities across Canada each day on average, due to workplace accidents and the effects of occupational diseases.

Canadians have a strong sense of work ethic and it is appropriate we honour those who have fallen in the line of their professional duties. These men and women have paid the ultimate price while making our communities better places to live and they deserve the honour we bestow upon them today.

I call on all hon. members to re-dedicate themselves to employees' workplace rights and to remain committed to making all Canadian work environments as safe as possible to protect workers across Canada.

[Petitions, April 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks the government to instruct Canada Post to maintain its post office system and consult with major stakeholders before it makes any changes.

[Petitions, April 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present two petitions in the House. The first petition is signed by thousands of people in my riding and across the entire country.

The petitioners ask Parliament to declare November 11 a national holiday observed in all provinces and territories.